Communication channels between a personal communication device and at least one head-worn device

ABSTRACT

A hearing assistive system, comprises a personal communication device ( 10 ) and a head-worn device ( 20 ). The personal communication device ( 10 ) has a user interface ( 12 ) being adapted for user interaction, a processor ( 11 ) controlling the user interface ( 12 ) and being adapted to run an application program, a short-range radio ( 13 ), and an output transducer ( 15 ). The head-worn device ( 20 ) has an input transducer ( 24 ) adapted for converting sound into an electric signal applied to a processor ( 21 ) outputting a modified audio signal via an output transducer ( 25 ). The application program is adapted to generate and output a data packet ( 70 ) on an audio carrier via the output transducer ( 15 ). The head-worn device ( 20 ) has an audio signaling block ( 26 ) for detecting and decoding the data packet ( 70 ) received by the input transducer ( 24 ). The head-worn device ( 20 ) has a controller ( 27 ) for controlling the operation of a short-range radio ( 28 ). The audio signaling block ( 26 ) is adapted to detect a radio pair command included in the data packet ( 70 ), and to instruct the controller ( 27 ) to enter pairing mode for the short-range radio ( 28 ), accordingly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hearing assistive system, comprising apersonal communication device and at least one head-worn device. Theinvention, more particularly, relates to a method for handlingaudio-based communication between the personal communication device andthe at least one head-worn device, a method of controlling the head-worndevice remotely from the personal communication device, a personalcommunication device and a computer-readable storage medium havingcomputer-executable instructions for carrying out the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to provide a hearing assistive systemfor controlling the radio-frequency signal transmission from a head-worndevice.

According to the invention, this purpose is achieved by a hearingassistive system, comprising a personal communication device and ahead-worn device. The personal communication device has a user interfacebeing adapted for user interaction, a processor controlling the userinterface and being adapted to run an application program, a short-rangeradio, and an output transducer. The head-worn device having an inputtransducer adapted for converting sound into an electric signal appliedto a processor outputting a modified audio signal via an outputtransducer. The application program is adapted to generate and output adata packet on an audio carrier via the output transducer. The head-worndevice has an audio signaling block for detecting and decoding the datapacket received by the input transducer. The head-worn device comprisesa controller for controlling the operation of a short-range radio. Theaudio signaling block is adapted to detect a radio pair command includedin the data packet, and to instruct the controller to enter pairing modefor the short-range radio, accordingly.

In one embodiment, the head-worn device is a hearing assistive device,and the processor is configured to compensate a hearing loss of thehearing assistive device user.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a methodof controlling a head-worn device remotely from a personal communicationdevice. The personal communication device has a user interface beingadapted for user interaction, a processor controlling the user interfaceand being adapted to run an application program, a short-range radio,and an output transducer. The head-worn device comprises an inputtransducer adapted for converting sound into an electric signal appliedto a processor outputting a modified audio signal via an outputtransducer, an audio signaling block for detecting and decoding the datapacket received by the input transducer, and a controller forcontrolling the operation of a short-range radio. The method comprisesgenerating and outputting a data packet on an audio carrier via theoutput transducer of the personal communication device; and receivingthe data packet in head-worn device. The audio signaling block isadapted to detect a radio pair command included in the data packet, andto instruct the controller to bring the short-range radio into pairingmode for a predetermined period of time.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided ahead-worn device has an input transducer adapted for converting soundinto an electric signal applied to a processor, the processor beingconfigured to output a modified audio signal via an output transducer.The head-worn device further comprises a short-range radio controlled bya controller, and an audio signaling block for detecting and decoding adata packet sent via an audio carrier and received by the inputtransducer. The audio signaling block is adapted to detect a radio paircommand included in the data packet, and to instruct the controller tobring the short-range radio into pairing mode, accordingly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will be described in further detail with reference topreferred aspects and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a first embodiment of a hearingassistive system, comprising a personal communication device and ahead-worn device, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a personal communication devicehaving a processor for running an application program according to theinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a head-worn device according to theinvention having an audio signaling block;

FIG. 4 illustrates that an embodiment of the hearing device may assumeseveral modes;

FIG. 5 illustrates the communication paths between a personalcommunication device and two head-worn devices according to theinvention;

FIG. 6 illustrates the structure of a data packet on an audio carrierused for communication, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a two-way communication session between a personalcommunication device and one head-worn device according to oneembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates as flow chart for the transmission process in thetwo-way communication session as illustrated in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The current invention relates to a head-worn device 20, preferablyembodied as a hearing assistive device being adapted to at least partlyfit into the ear of the wearer and amplify sound. Hearing assistivedevices include Personal Sound Amplification Products and hearing aids.Both Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAP) and hearing aids aresmall electroacoustic devices which are designed to process, amplify orlimit sound for the wearer. Personal Sound Amplification Products aremostly off-the-shelf amplifiers for people with normal hearing who needa little adjustment in volume (such as during hunting, concerts or birdwatching).

Reference is made to FIG. 1, which schematically illustrates a firstembodiment of a hearing assistive system, comprising a personalcommunication device 10 and a head-worn device 20 according to theinvention. The head-worn device 20 according to the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 is a hearing aid or a hearing assistive device. The personalcommunication device 10 may e.g. be a smartphone with an advanced mobileoperating system that combines features of a personal computer operatingsystem with features useful for mobile or handheld use.

The head-worn device 20 or the hearing assistive device has at least oneinput transducer or microphone 24 picking up an audio signal andtransforming it into an analog signal. An analog-to-digital converter 22(e.g. a delta sigma converter) receives the analog signal and provides adigital signal for a digital signal processor 21. The digital signalprocessor 21 is preferably a specialized microprocessor with itsarchitecture optimized for the operational needs of digital signalprocessing, and in the illustrated embodiment the processor 21 isadapted for amplifying and conditioning of the audio signal intended tobecome presented for the hearing aid user. The amplification andconditioning is carried out according to a predetermined setting storedin a non-volatile memory 7 (e.g. an EEPROM) in order to alleviate ahearing loss by amplifying sound at frequencies in those parts of theaudible frequency range where the user suffers a hearing deficit.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention the processor21 outputs a digital signal fed to a digital output stage 23 and anoutput transducer or a speaker 25. The speaker 25 may be driven as aclass D amplifier by the one-bit digital data stream received.

The hearing assistive device includes a controller 27 which according tothe illustrated embodiment is controlling the operation of a short-rangeradio 28 and a magnetic induction radio 29. The short-range radio 28 ispreferably operating according to the Bluetooth™ protocol. Bluetooth™ isa wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distancesusing the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz. Bluetooth™ is widely used forshort-range communication, for building personal area networks (PAN),and is employed in most mobile phones. Bluetooth™ Low Energy (BLE) has afixed packet structure with two types of packets; Advertising and Data.The data packets may contain payload as audio for audio streaming orinstructions for programming the hearing assistive device. Programmingincludes two different aspects—acoustic programming refers to settingparameters (e.g. gain and frequency response) affecting the sound outputto the user, which carries risk of potentially damaging the residualhearing by making wrong settings; and operational programming refers tosettings which do not affect the sound significantly, such as volumecontrol and selection of environmental programs.

The hearing aids 20 according to the illustrated embodiment are providedto a hearing-impaired user as a set of binaural hearing aids. Themagnetic induction radio 29 provides a low power communication channelfor an inter-ear communication between the two hearing aids 20. Themagnetic induction radio 29 may operate as a Near-Field MagneticInduction (NFMI) communication system as known for WBAN systems and mayapply FSK modulation, which is a frequency modulation scheme in whichdigital information is transmitted through discrete frequency changes ofa carrier signal. The operational range for magnetic induction radios 29is relatively short; less that 1-2 meters, and with low power as used inhearing assistive devices, the range may preferably be in the range of20-30 cm. The standard modulation schemes used in typical RFcommunications (amplitude modulation, phase modulation, and frequencymodulation) can be used in near-field magnetic induction system. As analternative to FSK modulation, PSK modulation or m-ary FSK modulationmay be applied. FSK modulation will be robust even in the absence ofline of sight between the transmitter and the receiver, while PSKmodulation will have a better modulation form for specific use cases.The magnetic induction radio 29 may be used for exchanging audio betweenthe binaural hearing aids 20, for exchanging control parameters betweenthe binaural hearing aids 20, or for synchronizing the binaural hearingaids 20.

Furthermore, the processor 21 incorporates according to one embodimentof the invention an audio signaling block (ABS) 26 for detecting anddecoding one or more data packets received by the input transducer 24.In another embodiment, the audio signaling block 26 is adapted formodulating and coding one or more data packets originated from theprocessor 21 and to be output from the head-worn device 20 via thedigital output stage 23 and the output transducer or speaker 25.

The head-worn device 20 includes a replaceable battery 6 for poweringthe electronic components. A push button 5 is illustrated for switchingthe power on and off. In practice the powering on and off is controlledby opening and closing a battery door present in the housing of thehead-worn device 20. The head-worn device 20 furthermore includes a pushbutton switch 8 providing the user interface for controlling theoperation of the head-worn device 20. The function of the push buttonswitch 8 depends on the current mode of head-worn device 20.

The personal communication device 10 may as mentioned earlier be able tocommunicate with the head-worn device 20 via respective radiossupporting e.g. Bluetooth communication, and in addition to this, thepersonal communication device 10 is according to one embodiment of theinvention able to transmit a signal 40 based upon an acoustic codingscheme to the head-worn device 20. In one embodiment, the head-worndevice 20 may provide a response signal 41 to the personal communicationdevice 10 based upon a similar acoustic coding scheme as indicated withthe arrows 40 and 41 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates the basic elements of a personal communication device10. The personal communication device 10 includes a general-purposeprocessor 11, which is a central processing unit (CPU) that carries outthe instructions of a computer program by performing the basicarithmetic, logical, control and input/output (I/O) operations specifiedby the instructions. The general-purpose processor 11 is associated withmemory 16 forming a computer-readable storage medium havingcomputer-executable instructions.

The personal communication device 10 includes a microphone 14 forpicking up audio, primarily speech, and generating an electronicrepresentation for the audio signal to be fed to the general-purposeprocessor 11. As modern smartphones are multi-radio devices having radiointerfaces towards cellular networks as GSM, WCDMA and LTE, short-rangenetworks as WLAN and Bluetooth™, and for positioning as GPS, thepersonal communication device 10 includes a connectivity manager 18managing telephone calls, data transmission and data receiving via amulti-mode radio including a short-range radio 13. The personalcommunication device 10 includes a user interface 12, such atouchscreen, enabling the user to interact directly with what isdisplayed.

FIG. 2 illustrates that user interface 12 displays a screen shot for ahearing aid control app 19 a including the audio modulator according tothe invention. The screen shot for the hearing aid control app 19 aincludes a header 12 a informing the user about the hearing aid programcurrently selected, here “Music stream”. The user may select theappropriate program by swiping and tapping the control area comprisingthe header 12 a. The list of available hearing aid programs includestraditional hearing aid programs optimized for specific listeningsituations, streaming programs for streaming audio, telephoneconversation or music from the personal communication device 10 to thehead-worn device 20, and a specific flight mode program where theshort-range radio link between the personal communication device 10 andthe head-worn device 20 is shut down. The screen shot for the hearingaid control app 19 a includes further controls, often hearing aidprogram dependent. A volume control area 12 b indicates the currentvolume by means of a movable bar informing the user about the currentvolume level relative to the volume range permitted for user adjustmentand marked by a triangle permitting the user to slide the movable barbetween min and max of the permitted volume range. A hearing aid programcontrol area 12 c permits the user to stop the music stream. The usermay select the appropriate program by swiping and tapping the hearingaid program control area 12 c.

The personal communication device 10 includes a speaker 15 for outputdelivered from the general-purpose processor 11.

The memory 16 is illustrated as one unit, but a man skilled in the artis aware that a computer memory comprises a volatile memory part actingas working memory (Random-Access Memory) and requiring power to maintainthe stored information, and a non-volatile memory part (e. g. Read-OnlyMemory, flash memory) in which stored information is persistent afterthe personal communication device 10 has been powered off.

The memory 16 may contain computer-executable instructions for aplurality of application programs 19 (apps) including an audiomodulation app 19 a. The application programs 19 may be downloaded froman app store on a remote server or pre-stored in the personalcommunication device 10 from factory. The general-purpose processor 11runs the computer-executable instructions for the audio modulation app19 a and provides an application program having a user interface 12being adapted for user interaction. The audio modulation app 19 aincludes computer-executable instructions for generating a command,often in response to a user interaction, embedding the command in datafor at least one data packet 70, modulating the data according to apredetermined acoustic coding scheme, and outputting the data packet 70on an audio carrier via the output transducer 15 intended for thehead-worn device 20. The command contained in the data packet 70controls the mode of the head-worn device 20. According to theinvention, the command contained in the data packet 70 controls the modeof a radio of the head-worn device 20.

One embodiment for a data packet 70 according to the invention isillustrated with reference to FIG. 6. The data packet 70 comprisescontrol information and user data, which is also known as the payload.The control information may preferably be a header 71, e.g. a sync wordor a preamble used to synchronize a data transmission and being a knownsequence of data used to identify the start of a frame. The payload 72may contain predetermined commands instructing the head-worn device 20to perform predetermined actions upon reception of the command. Thepayload 72 may also contain instructions to store transmitted data inspecified memory locations of the head-worn device 20. Furthermore, thedata packet 70 includes in the illustrated embodiment a cyclicredundancy check (CRC) segment 73 comprising an error-detecting codeadapted for detecting accidental changes to raw data. The data packet 70has a short check value attached, based on the remainder of a polynomialdivision of their contents. On retrieval, the calculation is repeatedand, in the event the check values do not match, corrective action canbe taken against data corruption.

FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of a head-worn device 20 according tothe invention comprising the audio signaling block 26. The audiosignaling block 26 receives the signal picked up by the microphone 24and converted into a digital representation by the analog-to-digitalconverter 22 from a branch from the signal path in the processor 21. Inthe illustrated embodiment, Frequency-Shift Keying (FSK) is applied as amodulation scheme in which digital information is transmitted throughdiscrete frequency changes of a carrier signal.

At the input of the audio signaling block 26, a DC filter 31 removes DCoffset present in the digital signal. A mixer 32 removes a carrierfrequency by mixing down the received signal to base band. Preferably,the carrier frequency is predefined in the range of 8-18 kHz ensuringthat the data packet 70 is present at a sufficiently high frequency inorder not to disturb the environment by making an annoying sound and inorder that the data packet 70 is present at a sufficiently low frequencyso a hearing aid microphone 24 and smartphone speaker 15 and/ormicrophone 14 can pick up or, respectively, output the sound.Preferably, the mixer 32 creates an in-phase (I) component as well as aquadrature (Q) component being shifted 90° in phase relatively to thein-phase (I) component.

An FSK demodulator 33 receives the in-phase (I) component and thequadrature (Q) component and uses a conventional matched filter approachin FSK to detect which frequency the incoming signal has. Preferably,the received signal is mixed with the possible signal frequencies, andthe resulting signal with the highest level corresponds to thetransmitted frequency. The highest magnitude for the various frequenciesis selected and the corresponding symbol is assigned.

An FSK detector 34 is adapted to detect the start of the data packet 70based on the data contained in the header 71, to validate an error freereception based upon the error-detecting code contained in the cyclicredundancy check (CRC) segment 73, and to take corrective action againstdata corruption if possible. When the data packet 70 has beensuccessfully detected, the FSK detector 34 extracts the payload 72 andsupplies data to a controller 27. The controller 27 translates the datareceived from the FSK detector 34 into commands to perform predeterminedactions or into instructions to store transmitted data in specifiedmemory locations of the head-worn device 20.

According to the invention, the audio modulation app 19 a of thepersonal communication device 10 has a modulator for modulating audiodata signals targeted for the head-worn device 20. The audio signalingblock 26 of the head-worn device 20 demodulates the audio data signaland extracts the content. In some embodiments the audio signaling block26 of the head-worn device 20 has a modulator for modulating audio datasignals targeted for the personal communication device 10. For thispurpose, the audio modulation app 19 a of the personal communicationdevice 10 has demodulation facilities for demodulating the audio datasignal and extracting the content. Hereby a return way for remotecontrol commands is established, and the head-worn device 20 mayacknowledge that a command has been received successfully and that theinstructions have been carried out. The personal communication device 10may retransmit a command if the head-worn device 20 has not acknowledgedthe reception of an original command within a predetermined period oftime.

The invention is also applicable in a fitting situation as the personalcommunication device 10 transmits data packets to the head-worn device20. The data packets 70 contain instructions to store transmitted datain specified memory locations of the head-worn device 20. Thetransmitted data comprise settings by which the processor 21 is adaptedto alleviate a hearing loss by amplifying sound at frequencies in thoseparts of the audible frequency range where the user suffers a hearingdeficit. The personal communication device 10 successively transmitsprogramming data packets 70, for each packet awaiting a responding datapackage from the head-worn device 20 verifying that the previousprogramming data packet 70 has been successfully received and handled.

When the controller 27 identifies a need for sending a message to thepersonal communication device 10, a response unit 35 is instructed toprepare an appropriate command for a data packet 70. The data packet 70is then transferred to a modulator 36 providing the audio FSKmodulation. The audio FSK modulated data packet 70 is added to theoutput from the DSP processor 21 in a summation point 37, and thereafterconverted to sound by means of the output stage 23 and the speaker 25.

The audio signaling block 26 includes a detector block (the DC filter31, the mixer 32, the FSK demodulator 33, and the FSK detector 34)adapted to detect and decode the data packet (70) received by the inputtransducer (24); and a response block (response unit 35 and themodulator 36) adapted to generate a data packet (70) modulated on anaudio carrier and output via the output transducer (25).

The commands from the personal communication device 10 may include aradio control command, such as a “radio disable command” or a “radioenable command”. These commands control the radios of the head-worndevice 20. In one embodiment, the short-range radio 28 is a Bluetoothradio with a 10-meter range, and thereby compelled by the guidelinesfrom Federal Aviation Administration to be suspended in certainsituations (The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal AviationAdministration (FAA) announced in 2013 that it has been determined thatairlines can safely expand passenger use of Portable Electronic Devices(PEDs) during all phases of flight.). The magnetic induction radio 29has a significantly shorter range and the inter-ear communicationbetween two head-worn devices 20 will therefore not have to be suspendedaccording to the guidelines from Federal Aviation Administration. Whenthe head-worn devices 20 in a radio enabled mode 60 (e.g. normal hearingaid mode), as illustrated with reference to FIG. 4, receive a “radiodisable command”, the controller 27 suspends or disables the short-rangeradio 28 and enters a radio disabled mode 62 (e.g. the flight mode) asindicated by the arrow 64. The head-worn device 20 stays in this modeuntil the controller 27 receives a “radio enable command” from the audiosignaling block 26. Then the controller 27 enables the short-range radio28 and enters the radio enabled mode 60 as indicated by the arrow 63.

According to one embodiment, the audio modulation app 19 a is controlledby the connectivity manager of the personal communication device 10.When the user turns the personal communication device 10 into flightmode as prescribed by guidelines from Federal Aviation Administration,the audio modulation app 19 a interprets the mode change of the personalcommunication device 10 as a trigger for automatically instructing thehead-worn device 20 to follow the mode change by automatically sending a“radio disable command”. Hereby the head-worn device 20 follows the modeof the personal communication device 10 and enters and leavesautomatically the radio disabled mode 62 without any head-worn device 20dedicated user interaction.

When a user receives a new head-worn device 20 and he intends to pair apersonal communication device 10 to the head-worn device 20, accordingto one embodiment of the invention, the user downloads an app having anaudio signaling block 26 according to the invention and the userinitiates the transmission of a “radio pair command”. The head-worndevice 20 will while un-paired be in the radio disabled mode 68.

When the audio signaling block 26 detects a “radio pair command”included in the data packet 70, the controller 27 initiates a pairingmode 61 for the short-range radio link between the personalcommunication device 10 and the head-worn device 20. The entering ofparing mode is indicated with an arrow 66 and is normally initiated fromthe radio disabled mode 68. Hereby it becomes easier to pair the twodevices, as the head-worn device 20 no longer needs to be re-booted toinitiate paring mode 61. The head-worn device 20 remains in pairing mode61 for a predetermined period of time, e.g. 2 minutes, or until pairinghas been completed. If pairing was successful, the head-worn device 20enters the radio enabled mode 60 as indicated by an arrow 65. If nopairing has been achieved after the predetermined period of time, thehead-worn device 20 resumes the radio disabled mode 68 as indicated byan arrow 67.

It is also possible for the head-worn device 20 to enter pairing mode 61from the radio enabled mode 60 in case the user indicates via the appthat he intends to pair the head-worn device 20 with an additionalpersonal communication device 10. The “radio pair command” may in oneembodiment include a user ID previously linked to and known by thepersonal communication device 10.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the reception of a radiocontrol command will cause the processor 21, when the containedinstruction has been executed, to retrieve a pre-recorded orpre-synthesized speech sequence from an associated memory 7 of thehead-worn device 20 and play the speech sequence via the speaker 25verifying for the user that the instruction has been executed. The“radio disable command” may have an associated speech sequence outputsaying: “flight mode has been entered”.

FIG. 5 illustrates the communication paths between the personalcommunication device 10 and the two head-worn devices 20-Left and20-Right according to one embodiment of the invention. The two head-worndevices 20-Left and 20-Right each includes the magnetic induction radio29 (FIG. 1) being responsible for the inter-ear communication 75 betweentwo head-worn devices 20. The inter-ear communication 75 is notregulated by the flight mode guidelines from Federal AviationAdministration and may therefore be mode independent and enabledwhenever the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right are inoperation.

The short-range radio link 76 and 77 between the personal communicationdevice 10 and the respective one of the two head-worn devices 20-Leftand 20-Right is in one embodiment provided by respective Bluetoothradios, and thereby required by the guidelines from Federal AviationAdministration to be suspended. The short-range radio links 76 and 77are mode dependent and will be enabled when the personal communicationdevice 10 and the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right all are inradio enabled mode 60 or pairing mode 61.

The acoustic communication link 78 and 79 between the personalcommunication device 10 and the respective one of the two head-worndevices 20-Left and 20-Right is according to the invention provided bythe audio modulator app 19 a in the personal communication device 10 andthe audio signaling block 26 of the respective one of the two head-worndevices 20-Left and 20-Right. The acoustic communication link 78 and 79is not subject to the flight mode guidelines from Federal AviationAdministration and is enabled when the two head-worn devices 20-Left and20-Right and the personal communication device 10 are in operation. Themeans that the personal communication device 10 is able to act as remotecontrol while the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right are inflight mode 62, and, very importantly be able to bring back the twohead-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right to normal radio enabled mode 60again.

During a binaural fitting session based upon the acoustic communicationlink 78 and 79 (in case these are one-way), the inter-ear communicationlink 75 based upon an inductive link may improve robustness as the twohead-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right may detect the same acousticallytransmitted data. Then the acoustically transmitted data isexchanged/negotiated by the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Rightvia the inter-ear communication 75. This may reduce the head shadoweffect, that may limit robustness when sending packets to a contralaterally positioned head-worn device 20 (hearing aid) relative to thepersonal communication device 10 (smartphone).

Two-Way Acoustic Communication Link

The acoustic communication link 78 and 79 may operate well as one-waycommunication channels, but from an error-control perspective, it isdesired that either the hearing aid user receives some kind ofnotification about that a transferred have been successfully received asindicated earlier by playing back a pre-recorded sequence.

However, it is preferred that the personal communication device 10 andthe two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right are able to establish asignaling dialog. This may be beneficial in e. g. a hearing aid fittingprocedure, a pairing procedure, a self-test procedure or a remotefitting procedure.

In one embodiment, the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right canonly listen on one channel at a time. The personal communication device10 may initiate a two-way acoustic communication link 78 and 79 byinstructing the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right to apply aspecific frequency channel which may be in the audible range and mayhave higher data capacity. The two head-worn devices 20-Left and20-Right of a binaural set of hearing aids could be assigned differentsync words 71 to effectively establish two two-way acousticcommunication links 78 and 79.

On each acoustic communication link 78 and 79, the personalcommunication device 10 would send a packet 70 and listen for answerfrom the two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right. If a response isreceived, the personal communication device 10 will send a new packet70—otherwise it will resend the last packet after a certain period oftime. This error control method is called Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ)and may be used for establishing a reliable link. The communicationprotocol on top of the physical layer can include: an ARQ scheme,separate control and user planes (control plane could be used tocommunicate about e.g. encryption or transmission speed), fragmentationof long payloads, multiplexing of logical channels.

Using the acoustic communication links 78 and 79 for two-waycommunication requires that there is a substantially free line of sightbetween the transducers (microphones and speakers) of the personalcommunication device 10 and the head-worn devices 20 and a shortdistance, preferably be less than 20 cm, and even better below 10 cm.

Fitting

The smallest hearing aids available on the market, e.g.Completely-In-Canal (CIC) hearing aids, are often offered without radiosto minimize its volume. This means that the hearing aid has no Bluetoothradio or inductive radio for providing a reliable link for programmingor fitting. According to the invention, the acoustic communication link78 and 79 may be used for transferring fitting data (settings) to thehearing aids to alleviate the hearing loss of the user.

In this scenario the personal communication device 10 updates thefitting data of the hearing aids or the head-worn devices 20 by writingfitting data to the non-volatile memory 7 (e.g. EEPROM). The scenarioalso covers fine-tuning which differs from the initial hearing aidfitting in the amount of data transferred. By transferring fitting datain smaller packets, the fitter may monitor the progress of the transferas the head-worn devices 20 reports the successful reception during thefitting process. Especially in the case of fine-tuning taking placeremotely via the Internet (from the computer of the audiologist via thesmart phone app 19 a), the writing of EEPROM data can be accomplisheddirectly from the personal communication device 10 (smartphone) with nointermediary fitting assistive devices. The app 19 a of the personalcommunication device 10 may also read log data from the head-worndevices 20 and send these to the clinic (audiologist) or a centralserver for use in a data-driven update of the fitting. The remotefine-tuning may also be an update that the personal communication device10 generates based on the user's input to e.g. InteractivePersonalization as described in WO2016004983 A1. If the user wants tostore the settings permanently (e.g. as a new program), the personalcommunication device 10 needs to write data to the non-volatile memory 7(EEPROM) and require acknowledge in this process.

Acoustic Communication Pairing

In order to improve security for the acoustic communication links 78 and79, a pairing procedure for the personal communication device 10 and thetwo head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right may be set up. During theacoustic communication pairing, the personal communication device 10 andthe two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right may define acommunication ID for each of the two acoustic communication links 78 and79. The communication ID is used in packets sent on the one-way link(e.g. remote control commands) in order to ensure that the userspersonal communication device 10 is the only device permitted to controlthe two head-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right.

The communication ID can be e.g. an 8 or 10-bit sequence that must becontained or otherwise encoded into the data packet, e.g. in the syncword 71 or the payload 72. The two head-worn devices 20-Left and20-Right will react only to packets containing the correct communicationID. Advantageously, the communication ID may be generated by thehead-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right (or programmed by the fittingsoftware used when fitting a hearing aid or embedded into the hearingaid during the production). This enables that one or more personalcommunication devices 10 may be paired with the hearing aid.

As the two-way acoustic communication link 78 and 79 requires thehead-worn devices 20-Left and 20-Right (e.g. hearing aids) are currentlynot worn, the use of acoustic communication pairing as a pre-pairing fora later Bluetooth pairing provides an improved protection againstspurious Bluetooth pairings. For instance, if the hearing aids areavailable for one-way Bluetooth pairing for 2-3 minutes after boot, thechance of a spurious pairing is more likely than if the hearing aidsmust be placed next to the phone to make two-way acoustic communicationpairing.

The two-way acoustic communication pairing allows the personalcommunication device 10 to read the program stack of the head-worndevices 20-Left and 20-Right for display on the display. This is animproved user experience.

If different hearing aid models use different acoustic communicationchannels (frequencies, modulation type and speed), the personalcommunication device 10 may try all of these and thus find theappropriate one for the specific hearing aid model. This allows that thehearing aid manufacturer may change the communication channel forone-way communication mode from series to series, and just must updatethe app 19 a for adding new communication channels (frequencies,modulation type and speed).

Self-Test/Performance Assessment

The two-way acoustic communication link 78 and 79 may be used to enablea self-test of the hearing aid (head-worn device 20) and report databack to the personal communication device 10 to display for the user orto send report data to an audiologist at the clinic. The self-test mayensure that different parts of the electronics function as desired orensure the integrity of the non-volatile memory 7 (e.g. EEPROM) bychecking e.g. a hash value.

The two-way acoustic communication link 78 and 79 may also be used toread out metrics related to the current hearing aid performance, e.g.battery level, active sound classes or other parameters logged by alogging function built into the hearing aid or related to the hearingaid performance/usage. The self-test is carried out by placing thepersonal communication device 10 adjacent to the hearing aids, e.g. on atable. By placing the personal communication device 10 and the head-worndevices 20 adjacent to each other, it is avoided that the hearing aidsare not worn during the self-test, as these are resting safely in thetable. Therefor the potential risk of generating loud sounds by thehearing aids in the ear of a user is eliminated.

Furthermore, hearing aids may not operate as in normal mode whenperforming the self-test, and therefore it is an advantage to know thatthe hearing aids are not being worn. Furthermore, it will be possible toread-out performance data from the HA without a radio connection, e.g.Bluetooth or magnetic induction (NFMI).

FIG. 7 illustrates a two-way communication pattern between the personalcommunication device 10 and one of the head-worn devices 20. The datasession is spilt up in smaller sub-sections, #1-#n. Each sub-section isin the illustrated embodiment initiated by the personal communicationdevice 10 transmitting a sub-session initiating data packet 80.1. Inresponse to the reception of the initiating data packet 80.1, thehead-worn device 20 transmits a responding data packet 81.1, e.g.

-   -   confirming a successful reception of the initiating data packet        80.1;    -   confirming a successful execution of instructions contained the        initiating data packet 80.1;    -   confirming a successful writing in a memory of data contained        the initiating data packet 80.1; or    -   containing data read from a memory specified by data contained        the initiating data packet 80.1.

This communication pattern is controlled by the personal communicationdevice 10, and is continued until all subsection, #1-#n, have beencompleted successfully.

FIG. 8 illustrates as flow chart for the transmission process in thetwo-way communication session as illustrated in FIG. 7. In step 90, thepersonal communication device 10 transmits a sub-session initiating datapacket 80.1 and waits in step 91 for a response from the head-worndevice 20. If the personal communication device 10 receives a respondingdata packet 81.1 within a predefined time limit, e.g. 8 seconds, fromthe head-worn device 20, the personal communication device 10 deems thefirst sub-section of the data section to be successfully completed andprogresses to step 92, in which the personal communication device 10checks whether further data packets are present in a transmission queue.If this is the case, the personal communication device 10 transmits thenext sub-session initiating data packet 80.2 and waits, in step 91, fora response. The loop is repeated until the personal communication device10, in step 92, find the transmission queue empty. Then the personalcommunication device 10 deems the data session to be completed anddisplays, in step 94, a notification in the display 12 for the manualoperator of the personal communication device 10 and terminates, in step95, the session. The retransmission counter is reset.

In case the personal communication device 10 does not receive theresponding data packet 81.1 within a predefined time limit in step 91,the personal communication device 10 checks, in step 96, whether thenumber of retransmissions has exceeded a predefined number. Thepredefined may be set to a fixed number, e.g. 8, or to a floating numberdepending on the number of planned sub-sections, e.g. one persub-section. If the predefined number of retransmission has not beenreached yet, the personal communication device 10 retransmits the samesub-session initiating data packet 80.1, increments the retransmissioncounter by one, and waits, in step 91, for a response.

If the personal communication device 10, in step 96, detects that thenumber of retransmissions has exceeded a predefined number, the personalcommunication device 10 interrupts, in step 98, the data session anddisplays an error message for the manual operator of the personalcommunication device 10 providing hints about establishing a betterconnection (lees noisy environment, recommended positioning for thehead-worn devices 20 relatively to the personal communication device 10etc.). The personal communication device 10 and terminates, in step 95,the session and resets the retransmission counter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A hearing assistive system, comprising apersonal communication device having a user interface being adapted foruser interaction, a processor controlling the user interface and beingadapted to run an application program, a short-range radio, and anoutput transducer adapted for converting an electric signal into sound,and a head-worn device having an input transducer adapted for convertingsound into an electric signal applied to a processor outputting amodified audio signal via an output transducer; wherein the applicationprogram is adapted to generate and output a plurality of commands fortransmission of a data packet over an audio-based communication channelcarrying information modulated on an audio carrier via the outputtransducer, the plurality of commands including a pairing commandinstructing a receiving device to enter pairing mode, and whereby thedata packet is output by the output transducer as an acoustic soundsignal; wherein the head-worn device comprises an audio signaling blockfor detecting and decoding the data packet received by the inputtransducer, and a controller for selecting one out of at least two modesof operation including a pairing mode; and wherein the audio signalingblock is adapted to detect a radio pair command included in the datapacket received over said audio-based communication channel, and whenthe radio pair command has been detected, to instruct the controller toenter the pairing mode for establishing a short-range radio link betweenthe personal communication device and the head-worn device.
 2. Thehearing assistive system according to claim 1, wherein the head-worndevice is a hearing assistive device, and the processor is a dedicatedprocessor configured to compensate a hearing loss.
 3. The hearingassistive system according to claim 1, wherein the controller enterspairing mode for the short-range radio for a predetermined period oftime.
 4. The hearing assistive system according to claim 3, wherein thecontroller is adapted to switch off the short-range radio if no pairinghas been achieved after the predetermined period of time.
 5. The hearingassistive system according to claim 1, and further comprising a magneticinduction radio in addition to the short-range radio, wherein themagnetic induction radio is not affected by a change in the operation ofthe short-range radio.
 6. The hearing assistive system according toclaim 1, wherein the application program is adapted to receive inputfrom a connectivity manager about the radio mode of the personalcommunication device, and to automatically generate a radio pair commandto the head-worn device ensuring that the head-worn device assumes thesame mode as the personal communication device.
 7. A method of operatinga hearing assistive system having a head-worn device remotely controlledfrom a personal communication device, the personal communication devicehaving a user interface being adapted for user interaction, a processorcontrolling the user interface and being adapted to run an applicationprogram, a short-range radio, and an output transducer adapted forconverting an electrical signal into sound; the head-worn devicecomprising an input transducer adapted for converting sound into anelectric signal applied to a processor outputting a modified audiosignal via an output transducer, an audio signaling block for detectingand decoding a data packet received by the input transducer, and acontroller for selecting one out of at least two modes of operationincluding the pairing mode, wherein the method comprises: in thepersonal communication device, generating and outputting a data packetover an audio-based communication channel carrying information modulatedon an audio carrier via the output transducer, said informationincluding a plurality of commands including a pairing commandinstructing a receiving device to enter pairing mode; in head-worndevice, detecting and decoding the data packet received by the inputtransducer; detecting a radio pair command included in the data packet;and when the audio pair command has been detected, instructing thecontroller to enter pairing mode to establish a short-range radiocommunication channel between said head-worn device and said personalcommunication device.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein thehead-worn device is a hearing assistive device, and the processor insaid head-worn device is a dedicated processor configured forcompensating a hearing loss.
 9. The method according to claim 7 andcomprising bringing the short-range radio into pairing mode for apredetermined period of time upon detecting of a radio pairing command.10. The method according to claim 7 and comprising receiving input froma connectivity manager about the radio mode of the personalcommunication device, and wherein the application program isautomatically generating a radio pair command to the head-worn deviceensuring that the head-worn device assumes the same mode as the personalcommunication device.
 11. The hearing assistive system according toclaim 1 wherein entering pairing mode comprises turning on the shortrange radio in the head-worn device.
 12. A hearing assistive system,comprising a personal communication device, a radio adapted to establisha short range radio communication channel, and an output transduceradapted for converting an electric signal into sound, and a head-worndevice having an input transducer adapted for converting sound into anelectric signal applied to a processor outputting an audio signal via anoutput transducer, wherein the processor of the personal communicationdevice is adapted to establish an audio-based communication channelcarrying information modulated on an audio carrier, and to generate andoutput a plurality of commands for transmission in at least one datapacket over said audio-based communication channel via the outputtransducer, whereby the data packet is output by the output transduceras an acoustic sound signal, wherein the head-worn device comprises anaudio signaling block for receiving said plurality of commands sent viathe audio-based communication channel and received by the inputtransducer, said plurality of commands including a pairing commandinstructing a receiving device to enter pairing mode, wherein thehead-worn device comprises a controller for selecting one out of atleast two modes of operation including said pairing mode, and whereinthe audio signaling block is adapted to detect said radio pair commandreceived via the audio-based communication channel, and, when the radiopair command has been detected, to instruct the controller to enter thepairing mode for the radio to establish the short range radiocommunication channel between the personal communication device and thehead-worn device.
 13. The hearing assistive system according to claim12, wherein the personal communication device comprises a user interfacebeing adapted for user interaction, a processor controlling the userinterface and being adapted to run an application program, wherein theapplication program is adapted to communicate via the audio-basedcommunication channel by generating a data packet on an audio carrieroutput via the output transducer.
 14. The hearing assistive systemaccording to claim 12, wherein the head-worn device is a hearingassistive device, and the processor is a dedicated processor configuredto compensate a hearing loss.
 15. The hearing assistive system accordingto claim 12, wherein the controller of the head-worn device enterspairing mode for the radio for a predetermined period of time.
 16. Thehearing assistive system according to claim 15, wherein the controlleris adapted to switch off the radio if no pairing has been achieved afterthe predetermined period of time.
 17. The hearing assistive systemaccording to claim 12, wherein the application program is adapted toreceive input from a connectivity manager about the radio mode of thepersonal communication device, and to generate a radio pair command tothe head-worn device ensuring that the head-worn device automaticallyenters a radio mode when the personal communication device enters theradio mode.